1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for packing and delivering a dental attachment. In particular, the invention relates to a dental implant delivery system, i.e. the system for delivering a dental implant and associated parts to a patient from a storage device housing the implant and associated parts.
Dental implants are widely known and used in the field of dentistry as a dental prosthetic. The known delivery systems suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, the current practice involves opening the package containing the dental implant and placing the implant on a surface or a tray until required by the surgeon. The implant must be picked up by the surgeon, usually by the use of fingers or tweezers, where it is attached to a mounting device. Using the mounting device, the surgeon positions the implant appropriately so that it may be inserted into the patient.
This technique has substantial risks. The implant is in a potentially unsterile environment. The need for handling of the implant before insertion into the patient increases the chances for contamination of the implant. Furthermore, the delivery process is cumbersome, involving taking the implant out of the packaging, grasping the implant with a tool or hand, and then placing the implant on a mounting device in order to insert the implant into the patient.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a packaging and delivering system whereby a surgeon can remove the implant from the packaging and place the implant without having to touch the implant thereby potentially affecting its sterility. Further, the packaging and delivery system should provide the surgeon with an easy way to take the implant from the packaging and to insert it within the patient.
2. Description of Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,381 describes one type of screw-type dental implant typical of those used in the art.